Dispensing container



mAM

J. B. OHLSON DISPI'INSING CONTAINER arch 6, w28.

Filed Sept. 2, 1924 Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

JOHN B. oHLsoN, Ior' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNOR TO THE VORTEX-MFG. CO., OW

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF\ILI|INOIS.

DISPENSING CONTAINER.

Application' ined september 2, 1,924. serial No. 735,227.

This invention relates to a dispensing' container and' particularly to a device which is adapted for containing a plurality of nested articles such as paper drinking cups o 4which are to be individually removed therefrom as needed for use.

In devices of this'kind it is desirable that the articles in the container be protected `from contamination by dust and the like 1U and it is also'highly desirable that theybe Apositioned at all times ready Afor convenient individual removal. Devices forthis purpose as heretofore provided have not succesfully met these requirements in that the ar-A ticles were not properly protected or were not maintained towards the position for convenient individual removal. It is an important object thereforeV of thepresent invention to provide a disensing .20`container which is inexpensive, dura le, at. tractive inappearance and which satisfacl torily and effectively meets all the requlrements of such devices in commercial use.

It is a further. object of this invention to provide a, dispensiing container wherein thev nested .articles are a all times submitted to an applied positioning force for retainthe same'in proper association with each ot er for facilitating the convenient individual removal of the articles therefrom.

It is another'and important object of'this invention .to provide a dispensing container of the kind described wherein means auto- Vn'iaticall movable and not necessarily aided by gravlty permit the exteriors of the com tained articles to be successively exposed for individual removal-: `l Q It is also animpbrtant object of. this invention to provideg-ia dispensing container 40 which operates effectively'with iiangless articles to dispense the same individually.

It is finally an important obiect of thisI invention to provide an apparatus of the kind described wherein the stack o farticles is stationary, wherein the expos vof successive articles for removal is entirely automatic and wherein there is no disigurement of the articles occasioned by such removal.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

This invention (in a preferredv form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

the line 4--4 o f Figure 2 with parts omitted.

-Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectionon the line 5-5 of Figure Y2. J

As shown on the drawings: 10

vThey reference numeral 1 indicates vthe body of the container pro er which as will vbe noted comprises a tu ular member or rectangular Isection open at its loweriend' and having a longitudinal openin in'its 'm front wall communicating with said open lower end. The container is referably constructed of stamped metal and) the up er end thereofy is closed` with a suitable inged cover 24 to prevent dust and dirt and other 80 foreign vmaterial from contaminating the articles therein. Secured' to the inside of the upper "end of" the containeris 'a fixed flange or retaining means 3 having an open-l ing 4 Atherein through which articles 'to be i. dispensed by the container may'be inserted. This opening as will be noted is of approximately oval shape and in the' present em-` bodiment is adapted to have inserted therethrough a stack of nested or. interfitted flat paper drinking cups which arel indicated in Figure 1 byf the refe-rence numeral 5.A Secured to the inside of the side walls of the container 1 and extending longitudinally thereof are trughshaped guiding members 6 which are adapted'to frictionally engage theedges ofthe cups `5l and which are. rovided with transverse indentations 7 w ich aid in the frictional engagement `between the edges of they cups and said guide members 6.v Asw'ill be noted from an examination of Figures 2 and 3 the ends of said guide members are flared outwardly as indicated by the reference numeral 8 in order -to facilitate the insertion and removal of the cups and also to strengthen the construction. The inner longitudinal edges of the front wall of the container along the sides of the openin therein are bent back upon the inner face o the front wall as indicated at 9 to 110 said flange member being cut out as indicated at 15 to conform to the contour of the outer surfaceI of the liest of cups which it rictionally engages. Extending inwardly from each side of the plate 13 is a member 16 which terminates in an integral troughshaped portion 17 which slidably engages in the trough-shaped guide member 6. Connected between cneedge ot' the member 14 and a suitable bracket 18 secured tothe side wall of the container directly beneath the flange 3 is a helical spring 19 which acts to normally urge the plate 13 and the member attached thereto toward the top of the container and the flange When the nest oli articles is inserted in the container the same is forced through the oval-shaped opening 4 into engagement with the cut out 15 in the member 14, the edges thereof engaging in the trough-shaped member 17, and .the insertionot the cups intov such engagement is facilitated by bent down guide ears 20 formed at the upper ends of the said members '17. As the nest of cups is pushed into the container through the opening 4, the plate 13 andthe plate 12 m'ove downwardly elongating the spring 19 until the bottom edge of the plate 11 is reached ,at which time ears 21 on the upper edge of said "plate 12 engage fiange ears 22 on the plate 11 andrsaid plate 11 is then forced downwardly until stopped by'l the engagement of said ears with notches V23 lin the channel members 10. A

When the'container has thus been filled with articles to be dispensed it will be noted that said articles are held stationary in the container and are also held in association with each .other by the tension of the helical spring lil-which tends to draw the plate 13 and the members attached thereto which,F of course, frictionally engage the lowermost article toward the flange 3. It is to be noted that the articles when inserted in position in the container, due to the inherent resiliency thereof, spring outwardly to the lower edge of said flange 3 and consequently can only be removed by pulling them individually Jfrom the lower end ot the containei` past the cut out 14.

It will be readily seen that as the articles portion 15 of the member are individually removed from the container the plates 12 and 11 will be successively moved upwardly. by the action of the .spring 19 to present or expose successive articles for removal in the manner described. ,This action is illust-rated in dotted lines in Figure 1 which indicates the relative position ot' the lower edge of the plate 12 and the lowermost cup 5 as the cups are successively removed. It will be apparent that this invention provides a. dispensing container wherein the cups or other articles nestedthercin are held stationary relative to the container and wherein the interior ot' said articles is protected at all times from contamination by dust or other foreign matter. At the same time the telescoping movement of the plates 12 and 11, as the articles arey removed from the container by being frietionally drawn past the member I13, provides for the successive exposing ot the lowermost article for removal until all of the articles are in fact removed from the container.

Y The device provided is inexpensive, attractive in appearance and durable and the articles as removed therefrom are not damaged and as will be apparent when withdrawn are properly opened out in position for immediate use. l

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention', and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted'hereon, other- Wise thannecessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a dispenser, means adapted to contain "a plurality of'articl'es in assoeiation"l with each other, a slidablel support in said means, and a spring forautomatically moving said support upwardly in said means to hold saidarticles stationary ,and successively expose the same for removal therefrom.

l2. In a dispenser, means adapted, to contain a plurality of articles "in association with each other, slidable wall sections in said `means, an article supportsecured to one of said walls, and mechanisms for actuating said support and walls to successively expose articles forv removal from said means. l

3. The combination with a container adapted to hold a plurality of nest-ed articles therein, of collapsible means movable relative to the -container for retaining said nest of articles in stationary position, and operating means connected with said collapsible 1 individual articles are successively removed from the container, and flexible means supporting said article supporting means.

- 5. In an article dispenser, means for containing a plurality of' nested articles, and a spring supported cup holder in `said containing means automatically movable for maintaining said nest of articles stationary relative to the container as the same are successively removed therefrom.

6. In anarticle dispenser, means for containing a plurality of nested articles, a lilcinber slidable in said containing means frictionally engaging certain of said articles,

slidable closure plates supporting said member, and resilient means for operating said member and platesfor maintaining said nest of articles stationary relative to the container as the same are successively removed therefrom.

7. In a device of the class described, a tubular member llavlng a longltudinal opening therein, telescopic means for closing said' opening, and slidable means in saidtubular member-'supported on said telescopic means and adapted to carry a plurality of articles and successively expose the same for removal by the movement of said telescopic means.

8. In an article dispensing device of the classV described, a tubular article carrying member having a longitudinal opening therein, telescopic means for closing said opening, and means tending to collapse said telescopic means and successively expose articles for. removal as said telescopic means are permitted to collapse by the removal of a preceding` article.

9. In an article dispensing device of .the class described, a tubular member adapted to carry a plurality-of articles and having a longitudinal opening and a bottom outlet therein, and telescopic-means associated with the opening'engaging certain of said articles and movable into engagement with other ofsaid articles as the articles are removed from the tubular member through said bottom outlet. y

10. An article dispensing device of the kind described 4comprising an article carrying container open at one end and having a longitudinal opening communicating with said open end, fixed retaining means at the end of the container opposite said open end, said retaining means adapted to have the end article abut said fixed retaining means, movable retaining means frictionally engaging the article at the end of the nest opposite said fixed retaining means, and means normally urging the movable retaining means toward the fixed retaining means.

11. An article dispenser device of the kind described comprising an article carrying container open at one end and having a longitudinal opening communicating with said open end, fixed retaining means at the end of the container opposite said open end against which the end article abuts, movable retaining means frictionally engaging the article atl the end of the nest opposite said fixed retainingr means, means normally urging the movable retaining means toward the fixed retaining means and telescopically arranged, protective. means movableiwith the movable retaining means to close the 4longitudinal opening over the articles and to telescope as the articles are withdrawn Jfrom thev end opening.

l2. An article dispensing device of the kind described comprising an article carrying container open at one end and having a longitudinal opening at one side thereof, fixed retaining means at the end opposite said open end, said fixed retaining means having an opening therein adapted to have the articles to be dispensed inserted therethrough with the end article abutting the fixed retaining means, and spring actuated movable retaining means frictionally engaging the end article nearest the open end of' said container.

13. An article dispensing device of the kind described comprising a container adapted to carry a stack of articles, said container open at one end and having a longitudinal opening in one side thereof, fixed retaining means at the end of the containeropposite said open end adapted to be contacted by the end article at one end of said stack of articles, movable retaining means frictionally engaging the article at the other end of the stack of articles, means normally urging the said movable retaining means toward the fixed retaining means and longitudinally guiding means inside thev container frictionally engaging the articles therein.

1t. A device of the kind described comprising a container adapted to hold a stack of articles, said container open -at one end and having a longitudinal opening in one side thereof, fixed retaining means at the end of the container opposite said open end and contacted by one end of said stack of artic-ies, a removable cover for the end of the container adjacent said fixed retaining means, and movable retainingfmeans frictionally engaging the other end of the stack of articles and normally urgingthe movable means toward the fixed retaining means.

15. The combination with a container adapted to hold a nest ot' interfitting articles stationary therein and individually removable therefrom, of apositioning follower antomatically movable upwardly into 'trictional engagement with the end-most article of the stationary nest of articles asV the articles are successively removed from the container.

16. The combination with a container adapted to carry a nest of intertting articles stationary therein and individually removable therefrom, of a spring actuated follower held in 'frictional engagement with the endmost article of the nest.

17. The combination with a container adapted to lcarry a nest of interfitting articles stationary therein and individually re- 1novable from the lower end thereof, of a movable article positioning `follower antomatieally .maintained 1n enga-gement "vi'1th the loWermost-.artlcle as the articlesare successively removedfrom the container.

telescopic article protecting means operatively connected With said follower.

'19. The combination with a container adapted to hold a star-.kof articles therein,

of fixed retaining means therein, and 1nov able'retaining means in the container normally tending to move toward the fixed retaining mcans for holding the stack of articles stationary as the articles are individually. removed from the container at a point adjacent said movable retaining means.

-20. The combination with a container ada ted to hold a stack of articles therein, of lxcd apertured retaining means in said container, a movable retaining meansl mounted in the container, and a spring connected to said movable retaining means, said articles being positioned between said retaining means and adapted to be successively frictionally engaged With said movablev retaining means and individually movable therepast.

scribed my name.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto sub- 

